


All I Want

by GoodOldBaz



Category: My Fair Lady (1964)
Genre: Asexual Relationship, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Male-Female Friendship, Post canon, Queerplatonic Relationships, Reconciliation, Romantic Friendship, after the end, two asexuals fall in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-11-27 02:00:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18188321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoodOldBaz/pseuds/GoodOldBaz
Summary: What happens after THE END? Eliza and Henry realize that all they want is to be with each other.





	All I Want

**Author's Note:**

> I HC them both as on the ace spectrum, so yeah. This is them realizing they love each other and want to be with each other and figuring out what that means in a time before people realized asexuality was a thing.

The professor leaned back in his chair and tipped his hat over his eyes. “Where the devil are my slippers?” he hissed, trying to hide his true emotions at the situation. But Eliza knew him better than that. She smiled to herself, and bent down and picked up the worn old slippers. There was a sudden moment of temptation, a thought that seemed too good to pass up, and the slippers when flying through the air, knocking Professor Higgins’ hat onto his lap. He jumped up and whirled around, his face fairly quivering with emotion.  
“How dare you –” he gasped, but as his eyes met hers, somehow all his anger melted away. She grinned at him, and he threw back his head and laughed. And so did she – it was, in fact, the most unladylike thing she had done in a very long time. It felt wonderful. Moments later Colonel Pickering found them thus and joined them in their merriment.  
“Dear Colonel Pickering,” said Eliza, taking him by the hands. “I do not know how I could have ever left you.” She paused, and glanced at Professor Higgins. “Either of you.”  
“Oh, all that matters now is that you’re back,” smiled the Colonel. “I don’t know what Higgins and I could have done without you.”  
Eliza smiled, and kissed the cheek of the man who had become something like a father to her. He laughed, faintly blushed, and returned the embrace.  
Dinner was remarkably silent, despite everyone’s joy to see each other. With the past few day’s happenings, they were all rather tired, both physically and emotionally. Many glances were exchanged, though, which spoke volumes, but as fat as any audible language, there was very little. When dinner came to its end, Eliza went up to her room with Mrs. Peirce and unpacked her things. Higgins and Pickering lounged together in the sitting room and drank a glass of port, waiting for Eliza to return.  
“You know,” Pickering said after a time, “You ought to marry that girl, Higgins.”  
Henry Higgins fairly launched himself out of his seat in an effort to get his back turned to Pickering before the older man could see his face. “I doubt she’d have me, the damned woman,” Higgins grumbled, pouring himself another glass with suspiciously unsteady hands.  
Pickering smiled, quite aware of the effect his suggestion had had on his friend. “I didn’t see it before dinner,” he said, sipping his drink, “But I think that she has been in love with you for a very long time. I’m not sure she realized it herself, until recently.”  
“Utter nonsense,” Henry exclaimed, pacing about the room. “And one might consider my feelings about her. Perhaps I don’t like her all that much.”  
Pickering had not stopped grinning. “I think we both know that’s not true.”  
Higgins stopped dead in his tracks. “I won’t make love to her, Pickering,” he hissed. “I draw the line at that!”  
“I don’t think that’s what she wants,” Pickering said honestly. “You might talk to her about it,” he added, getting up from his chair. “She might be more understanding that you think.” He put his empty glass down on the side table. “I’m going to bed now, Higgins.” He walked to the door, paused, and turned around with an arched eyebrow. “Say goodnight to Eliza for me, will you?”  
Higgins did not reply, but watched Pickering walk out of the room and up the steps. He followed aimlessly, walking absently about hall. He slid his hand across the mantel, thinking. Surely Eliza couldn’t understand the way he felt things. It had been difficult enough explaining it to Pickering that one, intensely awkward evening that his friend had asked him about his love life. He shook his head, suddenly snapped out of his musings as his finger his something cold and metal on the mantel. It was the ring he had given to Eliza, covered in ash from where she had thrown it into the grate.  
“Damn,” he groaned, making his way back to the sofa and sitting down. He thought about the day he had bought it for her. They had all been so happy, like a family – but what a family. He thought he must have loved her then, though he hadn’t known it at the time. Absently, he wiped it clean and slipped the ring as far down at it would go on his finger. He wondered what was taking Eliza so long. If she didn’t come down soon, he thought, he would go right up after her. After all, she couldn’t just come back and then disappear again without a word. He stood and marched towards the stairs, but to his surprise, saw Eliza standing at the head of them.  
“Oh,” he said, his voice cracking slightly. “Hello, Eliza.”  
“Hello, Professor,” she said, carefully.  
He took in a hesitant breath. “I was just coming up to say,” he paused, he wasn’t even quite sure what he was going to say. “I wanted to tell you, you see….” Damn, why was this so difficult? “You’ve moved everything back in?” he asked.  
“Only until I can find a more suitable place,” she said slowly.  
The words felt like a kick in the stomach to Higgins. “You’re not – staying?” he asked.  
“You haven’t asked me to,” she said. “And a lady would never impose.”  
He wanted to shout, but he managed to restrain himself. He took a few steps up the stairs. “Eliza,” he started. “I wanted to say, that I’m sorry. There, are you happy?”  
“Not when you say it like that,” she said, sadly.  
“Damn it, Eliza!” he growled. “What must I do, get on my knees?” Without even quite knowing what he was doing, he found himself kneeling on the stairs, looking up at her. “I’m sorry,” he said, earnestly, “I was a bastard. And I know you have every right to leave at any moment if I treat you poorly. But I…” his voice trailed off. “I don’t want you to go. I say this to you honestly, as to a lady, not a flower girl. Please, Eliza, will you stay with us? With me?”  
Henry suddenly remembered the ring on his finger. He slipped it off and held it out to her. The silence that followed nearly broke the professor’s heart. Eliza felt tears rise in her eyes. In a moment, he flew down the steps, throwing her arms around his neck.  
“Oh Eliza, Eliza,” the professor found himself saying, burying his face in her lace-covered neck. He couldn’t even believe what was happening. In a moment, she pulled back, standing to her feet and pulling him up after her.  
“Is that what a lady does?” she found herself laughing.  
“Perhaps not,” he grinned, “But I wouldn’t have you any other way!”  
She laughed, clear and full. God, he’d missed that laugh.  
“Here,” he said, holding out the ring, “Give me your hand.”  
She did so and he slipped the ring on her finger.  
“Did we just get engaged?” he asked awkwardly.  
“We may have,” she replied, a wry expression on her face.  
“I feel like we ought to kiss, or something,” he said after a moment.  
“I would prefer the something,” she said, slipping her hand into his.  
He felt a wash of relief. Come to think of it, so did he. They moved together into the sitting room.  
“Chocolates?” he smiled, reaching out and picking up the box from his desk. She smiled and nodded. He took the box and the two of them made themselves comfortable on the sofa in front of the fire. She drew up her legs and rested her head on his shoulder, taking chocolate from the box where it sat open on his lap. He pressed his lips to the top of her head and she closed her eyes and smiled. This was all she wanted.


End file.
